1) Tension with Iran that could threaten Middle East oil exportsThe US no longer imports oil from overseas, US production is 12.5 Million barrels oil per day. If there is an oil shock the Far East will feel the brunt, China will feel it the most and then China can reign in Iran! If China doesn't reign in Iran, China can have riots in China!

an argument based off a misunderstood fact

U.S. imports about 7 million barrels of crude oil a day still. The oil U.S. produces is too light for its complex refineries so they need to keep importing medium and heavy grade crudes to be profitable. U.S. oil production can hit 30 million barrels a day and refineries would still have to import... although to be fair over half of it coming from Canada

1) Tension with Iran that could threaten Middle East oil exportsThe US no longer imports oil from overseas, US production is 12.5 Million barrels oil per day. If there is an oil shock the Far East will feel the brunt, China will feel it the most and then China can reign in Iran! If China doesn't reign in Iran, China can have riots in China!

an argument based off a misunderstood fact

U.S. imports about 7 million barrels of crude oil a day still. The oil U.S. produces is too light for its complex refineries so they need to keep importing medium and heavy grade crudes to be profitable. U.S. oil production can hit 30 million barrels a day and refineries would still have to import... although to be fair over half of it coming from Canada

But in an emergency situation, America could buy more oil from Canada. Also we have a large strategic reserve. China seems to be running on empty and its working class population is half starved. A disruption in ME oil would be a catastrophe for the Chinese.

It's obvious to me that Trump is NOT an interventionist, at all. But I think he liked to keep Bolton around to show his enemies that he wasn't afraid of intervening if necessary. This would've given him leverage in negotiations with rivals. Otherwise, why would Bolton be his advisor?

I guess Trump just couldn't stand him anymore. Didn't Bolton want to invade Iran to overthrow the Ayatollah?

Trump's announcement of Bolton's resignation coming just hours after Netanyahu said he would annex Jordan Valley if he were to be re-elected. I think he's said that before, but he never gave a timeline. At the conference today, he said he would annex parts of the West Bank IMMEDIATELY following his re-election. Some reports say he spoke with Trump to run through his speech outline prior to the conference today, possibly because he noted the annexation would occur with "maximum coordination" with the U.S. This is part of Trump's Middle East Peace Plan, which has not been published yet, although the time of its publication is set to be on September 17, 2019. The same day of the Israeli general election.

I'm not sure if this parallel is a mere coincidence or actually a (the) reason behind Bolton's resignation. Regardless, the timeline for West Bank annexation is set for next week, and contingent upon Netanyahu's re-election.

John, do you think this is a bluff just to get re-elected? or if it were to happen will Netanyahu and the U.S. face some serious pushback